Joelle James

Influenced by Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston, Joelle James crafts blue-eyed soul alongside pop-leaning R&B that echoes the approach of JoJo and Jordin Sparks. A producer and singer/songwriter from Southern California, she grew up in Murrieta, California, and first gained major exposure at age 11 with a performance on Showtime at the Apollo. Following high school, James attended Berklee College of Music in Boston and earned a degree in music studies and voice. She then began circulating her material through social media platforms. In 2011 her clips drew the interest of Chris Brown, who placed her on his CBE imprint, after which Interscope issued a recording contract. James collaborated with Brown on several singles, among them the 2012 track “Fading Away” and the 2014 release “Leave the Club.” Despite the support from Brown and her label affiliation, disputes behind the scenes led her to exit Interscope. She subsequently aligned with Roc Nation. In 2016 she again teamed with Brown on the duet “Scream,” which reworked New Edition’s “Can You Stand the Rain?”